Class of 2025 Profile: Leif

At Quad Prep, students have the opportunity to explore and develop their passions. For Leif (Class of ’25), having the space and time to hone his interests has been transformational.

Memories at Quad Prep

For Leif, working with his hands is a key part of learning, and in his third year of taking a Maker Space course, he has done a lot of exploring! “I get to make cool things, and I’ve learned how to better work with my hands and put what’s in my mind on paper,” Leif explained. “The school has helped me to explore different ways to learn and express myself and my feelings.”

Leif is also a member of the track and field team, a club that has allowed him to connect with teammates. “It’s a close knit group because we work hard and bond together, and it’s fun to compete,” he said.

Beyond Quad Prep

In his free time, Leif finds ways to engage his mind—and hands. His most recent adventure has been repairing and improving old Go Karts. “My dad has a background in engineering, so he knows about electronics. It’s really fun,” he says. He hopes to turn this passion project into a business and has already had a few interested customers.

He’s also branched out into the world of photography. After taking photography for the first time last year, Leif has continued taking his own photos outside of school, especially of cityscapes and street photography, and plans to continue honing his skills after graduation.

Leif is also passionate about nature. Since he was 12, he has attended wilderness camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains. “They teach wilderness skills and backpacking, and they do overnight hiking trips away from camp,” Leif said. Last year, he was a counselor-in-training, and this year, he will return as a counselor for 13-14 year old campers.

Future Goals

Although he has a wide range of interests, Leif has a clear goal for his future: become a bush pilot. For Leif, this career path combines his love of machinery and exploring nature. Eventually, he hopes to train in Alaska. “I have a couple family friends who know bush pilots, and they train in Alaska, and they say, if you can fly in Alaska, you can fly anywhere,” Leif said.

Starting in the fall, Leif will attend a CUNY college to take non-degree classes that will count toward the credit hours he needs to attend aviation school. The following year, Leif plans to attend Moody Aviation in Spokane, Washington. “I'm going to go to a school where you come out with a commercial pilot's license, but specifically trained for bush flying, as well as a mechanics license, so you can repair your plane when it breaks down in the middle of wherever you are,” Leif explained.

Advice for younger students

“Ask for help, because the teachers are here for you, so you're never going to get in trouble for asking for help and advocating for yourself. In middle school, my grades were struggling, and that was because I wasn't asking for help. My counselor at the time and my parents were like, ‘You got to get your grades up,’ and so we figured out that I wasn't asking for help. Once I started doing, that my grades improved, and it also made me feel more comfortable in the class setting,” Leif said.